TRIDEC: Bolder and brighter future ahead

In February TRIDEC held the 18th Annual Economic Outlook. Experts from various sectors of the local economy discussed where we’ve been and predicted where the community is headed.

Tri-City employment grew by 3.6 percent during 2016, best in the state. An important indicator for TRIDEC is that goods producing employment was up nearly 15 percent, and manufacturing employment was up 10 percent. As a general rule of thumb, every manufacturing job is responsible for an additional 2.5 jobs locally. We believe the Tri-Cities is poised for another strong year of employment growth.

In January 2016, AutoZone announced their decision to build a major distribution center in Pasco. That facility will open later this year, and when fully operational will create 200 new jobs. In June 2016 Lamb Weston announced it had selected its Richland potato processing facility for a new $200 million investment/expansion that would add 125 jobs to its existing workforce. In both cases the decision to invest in the Tri-Cities was not quick. AutoZone’s process took well over 18 months and Lamb Weston recognized the need to increase capacity long before Richland was selected. We celebrate these successes but must recognize that growing the Tri-City economy is a long-term process.

TRIDEC’s Mid-Columbia Energy Initiative (MCEI) will be entering a new phase in 2017. MCEI will be the catalyst for attracting and retaining energy sector businesses by capitalizing on local infrastructure, resources and expertise.

During 2017 TRIDEC will continue to emphasize the importance of the food and beverage industry to the community. The third annual FABREO Expo is scheduled for June 14-15, connecting food buyers and brokers with local processors and producers.

As part of TRIDEC’s business recruitment efforts, staff will attend the Winter Fancy Food Show and the Natural Products Expo West. There we will promote the Tri-Cities as the location for new food and beverage processing facilities. The community’s success with AutoZone has encouraged us to do further research on other companies with growth sufficient in the Northwest to justify distribution facilities. We will continue to position the Tri-Cities as the perfect location to corporate site selectors and real estate executives on sales calls and at various national venues.

Every year is challenging as TRIDEC advocates for federal funding in program areas important to PNNL and adequate clean-up funding for Hanford. It now appears that Congress will not pass a fiscal year 2017 federal budget which means that funding will likely remain at fiscal year 2016 levels. However, a Continuing Resolution prevents new programs/activities from being started and often leaves money in the wrong category to be effectively used. Any time the federal administration changes, TRIDEC and the community must be proactive to ensure programs important to the community and our local economy are protected.

Advocates for returning Corps of Engineer-owned river shore property back to local control received a year-end boost. The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act contained a provision instructing the Corps to provide Congress details on property ownership, method of acquisition and how much was paid for Tri-City riverfront on or before March 1. Armed with this information, local officials can begin to make informed decisions on the risks and rewards of property reconveyance.

TRIDEC will continue to support the Tri-Cities Airport and efforts to attract new and improve existing commercial air service. Daily non-stop service to Los Angeles is the primary target at this time, but we are always looking for new opportunities, new routes and new carriers. The new airport terminal is a tremendous asset for the community and is the perfect example of why the Tri-Cities has a bolder and brighter future ahead.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 12:00 AM with the headline "TRIDEC: Bolder and brighter future ahead."